Staple Condiments

Simply salt, pepper and cooking oil suffice, but there are other herbs and seasoning that you might want to always keep in your pantry. This is my version.

• Like I said, Salt & Pepper. Kosher salt or sea salt if you have the budget to cook with it on a regular basis. Try to invest in a peppermill. Freshly-ground pepper always tastes better. It depends on your buds but I prefer black pepper than white. I find that white pepper are often used in Asian cooking, though.
  
• Soy sauce. Yes, I'm Asian.
  
• Dried herbs. My personal favorite is Herbs de Provence. But stock up with thyme, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, etc.
• Garlic. Either you buy the pre-cut jars or fresh cloves. What I like to do is to mince a bunch of garlic cloves and keep them in an air-tight tupperware with a bit of oil. This can be kept in the fridge for about two weeks. Stay away from garlic powder! I think they are nasty.
• Sriracha hot sauce. Can't live without 'em!
• Beef bouillon cubes. You can find them in grocery stores, normally in the Mexican aisle.
• Dijon mustard. I like both the traditional and old style.
• Canned tomatoes, whether you want the canned whole, diced, stewed, or pureed.
  
• Lemon or lemon juice. Fresh lemons are always the best, but I always have the bottled alternative lying around in the fridge just in case I'm lazy to run down to the market (which always happen, I wonder why...)
• Sesame oil.
  
• Balsamic Vinegar and I also like to have Red wine vinegar too.
• Oyster Sauce
• Mirin. Japanese cooking wine, though I doubt that it has any alcohol content.
  
• Flour
• Breadcrumbs. I love panko!
• Mayonaise. Hellman's tastes like the real thing.

I think that's all I can think of for now.